


How Things Change

by Bookworm39



Series: RvB Bingo Wars (2017) [2]
Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: AI Swap, AKA wash gets sigma and becomes the meta while maine gets epsilon and barely survives, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Gen, Metawash AU, Project Freelancer, RvB Bingo Wars, Team: Medic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-23
Updated: 2018-01-23
Packaged: 2019-03-08 17:38:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13463220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bookworm39/pseuds/Bookworm39
Summary: Second entry for the Red Vs Blue Bingo Wars, ft. AI Swap and what I like to call the MetaWash AU.





	How Things Change

**Author's Note:**

> (Generic copy-pasted message incoming)  
> Hello! I did a couple of fandom events for rvbficwars.tumblr.com, and thought it was time I moved those 'fics over here! Just keep in mind that, between being older and being written under a slight time crunch, these may not be as high-quality as some of my other works.

“Maine, get down!”

Those three words were always stuck in Agent Maine’s head, ever since that fateful mission to retrieve the Sarcophagus. Washington had seen the soldier aiming for the older Freelancer, and had jumped in front, seemingly trying to pull Maine out of the way.

Maine was fine, in the end. The same couldn’t be said for Wash.

Carolina gave up her chance at an A.I. implant, in order to give Wash some way of communicating with the others. Sigma seemed friendly enough, and Wash seemed excited about his new friend. Maine didn’t know a lot about the A.I., personally; he wasn’t exactly social, so he never spoke with North or York about their own.

However, over time, Wash seemed to… change. He shied away from the other Freelancers, and seemed to be getting more aggressive. It still stuck out in Maine’s head: the one time he stopped Wash on the way to start training and tried to talk to him about it.

* * *

_“Hey.”_

_A muffled grunt. Sigma appeared, saying, “Agent Maine, Agent Washington is in a hurry. Would you please move?”_

_“I’m just…” A pause. “Are you alright, Wash? You’ve been acting different.”_

_“Agent Washington have just been trying to improve his skill on the battlefield. Perhaps you should focus on that yourself.”_

_“And what does that mean?”_

_“Well, I suppose I shouldn’t be so hard on you. After all, you’re one of three agents without an A.I. fragment. Perhaps the others just have an unfair advantage.”_

_“That’s not true, It’s just-”_

_Wash made a strange noise; almost like… a growl. “Agent Washington would very much appreciate it if you would move, Agent Maine.”_

_Maine went silent, then stepped aside._

* * *

 

He never should have let Wash continue on like this. He tried to tell himself that it wasn’t his fault, that he never could have known what Sigma was going to do. It never stuck.

Then again, maybe at least part of that was connected to Epsilon…

He was hesitant at first. Carolina was obsessed with the A.I.s, Wyoming was acting odd, and Wash…

But he went through with it. And it was the worst decision he ever made. Everyone’s A.I.s were to be pulled. Some argued-South was mad at him, York and Tex both disappeared, and Wash-Wash just snapped.

He wasn’t going to give up Sigma. If anything, he wanted more A.I.s.

The creature formerly known as Agent Washington attacked, trying to claim more fragments. He succeeded in taking several-as well as Carolina’s life.

The Meta became a terror to what remained of Project Freelancer. A terror Maine couldn’t help but feel responsible for.

Wash took that bullet for him. He lost the ability to speak saving his life. That’s why he needed Sigma. He was the youngest member; maybe Sigma wouldn’t have been able to manipulate Carolina, or any of the others-

But there was no time for that now. Now he stands, with several sim-troopers who had encountered the A.I. fragments before. There’s Caboose (seemed… nice enough), Simmons (too talkative for his taste), Grif (lazy-a bit surprising he lasted this long), Sarge (bona-fide psycho), and Church (asshole, but if they were right…). Here he stands, alongside strangers in order to fight an old friend.

_How things change._


End file.
